


Royal Trepidations

by StarCommCowgirl



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Pep talks, Post-Frozen 2 (2019)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarCommCowgirl/pseuds/StarCommCowgirl
Summary: Across the room, the dress mannequin stood there, mocking her. Anna sat down on the chest at the end of the bed staring at the elegant black, teal and purple fabric that there was no way was meant for her. She wasn’t ready.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 58





	Royal Trepidations

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go! First Frozen fic. Kicked this around for a month or so and finally decided to bite the bullet and post it. Everyone lets Kristoff be the unsure one in need of a pep talk. I decided it was Anna's turn.  
> I may continue with this but it's likely gonna just be a one-shot. Enjoy!

Anna hated waking up alone. Try as she might, it was something she couldn’t seem to get over even after the gates had opened. Her half-awake brain would feel the emptiness beside her first and then suddenly be flooded with years of sadness and emptiness and loneliness and her heart would start to race, her breathing turning heavy. Anna would sit up suddenly trying to steady herself, trying to remind herself that she wasn’t in fact alone despite what her foggy brain was telling her. She had friends, she had family, she had open gates and open doors and love all around her. It was still hard even after all this time.

This morning was no exception and as she sat there, the panic finally ebbing, a tiny voice in her head reminded her that today there were more important things to be stressing out about. This particular voice wasn’t ever very helpful.

Anna swung her legs off the bed taking a deep breath before her feet hit the cold wooden floor. She shrugged out of her nightgown and pulled on the dressing robe laid out at the foot of her bed. Anna closed her eyes and ran tired hands up her face and into the mess that was her hair, tangled in knots from a night of fretful and inadequate sleep. When she opened her eyes, all she could manage was another sigh.

Across the room, the dress mannequin stood there, mocking her. Anna sat down on the chest at the end of the bed staring at the elegant black, teal and purple fabric that there was no way was meant for her. She wasn’t ready. She was never going to be ready. The voice told her to just hide in her room for the rest of the day, for the rest of her life even, and everyone else would forget about her and move on and it’d be fine.

Anna stood up suddenly, her stubborn streak finally rearing against the voice. No, this was going to be fine. It was the next right thing. The thing she needed to do next. All she had to do was stand on a stage and follow a few prompts and then it’d be over. She could relax and spend her night dancing with Kristoff and Elsa and stuffing her face with chocolate. Were queens allowed to stuff their faces? Would that end up being the first faux pas of her reign? She’d be known as the impulsive queen of Arendelle for the rest of time.

_No,_ she told herself again. That wasn’t going to happen. All she had to do was put on the dress. She knew how to put on a dress. Why was she still not putting on the dress?!

Before she could berate herself further, there was a knock at the door. Anna stood still; her arm wrapped across her chest. Her heart was starting to race again. Between the constant drumming and the voices in her head yelling at each other, she barely heard the door open and barely heard Kristoff call out her name.

“Anna?” he said a second time from just a few inches behind her. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

She jumped slightly at the sudden contact and shook her head trying to rid the thoughts before turning toward him. “Hi,” she said, quietly as if everything was normal.

“Hi, yourself,” Kristoff said, his brow furrowing, “Is everything ok?”

“Of course.“ She lied, kicking herself internally. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

He glowered even further, “Well, I came back from getting Sven ready and Gerda said she’d tried coming by several times but you hadn’t answered.”

“Oh. I must have just missed her.”

“Anna.”

“Kristoff.”

He sighed, “Come on. Something’s up with you?”

Anna looked down, “Is it that obvious?”

Kristoff took a step forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Anna’s arms were still crossed in front of her, but she leaned her head heavily against his chest. They stood there for a moment in silence before Kristoff pulled away enough to look at her. “What can I help you with?”

Anna looked up at him trying not to just let herself get lost in those deep brown eyes. The ones that were currently searching hers for answers. She sighed and lifted her hand and tapped her forehead with her finger.

As soon as she’d lowered her hand, Kristoff pressed a kiss to the spot on her forehead she had touched. A small smile threatened Anna’s lip. “That’s not what I meant.”

He continued to look at her imploringly and Anna pulled away from his arms. It almost physically hurt to give up that comfort but if she didn’t, she was liable to never get through this day. “I just can’t get out of my head."

“I’ll do what I can, but I’m not sure if I can help with that,” he smiled trying to reassure her.

“I know, I just, I don’t know!” She walked back over to the chest and sat down in a huff.

Kristoff followed her but gave her enough space for the thoughts that were clearly surrounding her. “You know you can tell me.”

“I know.”

“And I know you’ve been stressed about today but whatever’s going on now is something more.”

“I know”

“Plus, you know that if you keep whatever this is in, you’re going to explode.”

“I know.”

“So, what’s up?” He asked again, placing a reassuring hand on her knee.

“It’s just…” Anna paused for a second before her brain finally decided to vomit its way out of her mouth. “A few months ago, I feel like everything was _so_ perfect! We were all together and happy… well, I guess Elsa wasn’t completely happy and I don’t blame her at all for that and I know things were bound to change eventually. But-” she stood up again starting to pace in front of him. Each step dislodging another worry from her head. “the next minute we’ve met an entirely new group of people and then my sister and my friend are gone and then I have to sacrifice my home. But wait, no, not actually because Elsa’s alive. Olaf’s alive. Arendelle’s saved! AND THEN, you’re on one knee proposing to me, which obviously isn’t an issue.” She managed to stop for a second and look at him sincerely. “Please don’t _ever_ think that was a problem!” Anna started pacing again “But then Elsa wants me to be queen. Me! Ordinary, spare, second child me. And it’s fine. I love this place I love these people and Elsa’s been here to help get me ready. But I feel like I can’t keep up! I feel like my head is always spinning and everything’s going to come crumbling down at any minute. And then I start to wonder if maybe it would have been better to never open the doors in the first place.”

For his part, Kristoff let her babble on uninterrupted but when she finally stopped, he felt just a little exhausted. “You don’t mean that,” he said gently. “Especially that last part.”

“No! I don’t! I don’t know!” she yelled throwing her hands up in exasperation before sitting back down on the chest again. “I’m just SO tired and I haven’t even really started this yet!”

“ _You’re_ tired,” he teased.

“Oh hush, I mean it.”

“I know! I’m agreeing with you.”

“No, you’re not. You’re making fun of my inability to do anything but babble.”

“I’m not… well, maybe a little.”

“Kristoff!”

“What?” he said, but she was back to sullenly looking at the ground again. Kristoff reached over and took her hands in his. “Look, I get it. This is all crazy and new and, frankly, weird. But hey,” he said, tilting her head up so she’d look at her. “You’re the one who brags about climbing the north mountain, surviving a frozen heart and saving your sister. How can this be any harder than all that?!”

“I say a lot of things. Why is _that_ the one you decide to take to heart?”

“Hey! I take everything you say to heart. And I know this is a lot but you’ve got this! Literally, all you have to do today is stand on a stage and smile and hold a scepter and a ball thingy and then you’re done. We can work out everything else that comes up next together.”

She knew he was right. Knowing he was going to be by her side and working with her through all of this was one of her only comforts. “But what if-“ she paused for a second not wanting to say her biggest fear out loud, “What if I can’t live up to what they did”

“Who?”

“Elsa, my mother, my father… I guess not my grandfather, but you know what I mean. What if I can’t live up to everything that’s come before? What if I can’t be as great and benevolent and just as they all were.”

Anna tried to look away again but he followed her gaze making her look back up at him. “Anna, you’re the most kind, wonderful, thoughtful person I’ve ever met. You don’t have to live up to anything anyone else has ever been because you’re insanely uniquely you and you’re going to be the most amazing queen Arendelle could ever hope to have. You know more about these people and this place than anyone else has or will. You care SO much about everyone and everything that there’s no way you can fail.”

Anna bit her lip still managing to hold eye contact with him despite wanting to look away. “When did you get so good at pep talks?”

“I learned it from watching you.” He smiled at her. “That’s another reason you’ll make such a good queen.”

Anna finally allowed herself to smile just a little bit but it dropped again when she looked over again at the dress form still staring at her. “I guess all I have to do is get dressed.”

Wordlessly, Kristoff helped her get to her feet. They walked back to the other side of the room, his hand on the small of her back as both a reassurance and a way to stop her from escaping. When they reached the offending garment, Anna let out another sigh, “Why is that dress so terrifying?”

“Anna, I know you believe that, but it’s really not. It’s made for you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and leaning down closer to her ear, “It’s not your mother’s. It’s not Elsa’s. It’s yours. And _you’re_ going to wear it, it’s not going to wear you.”

Anna felt her chest tighten slightly. Sometimes she wondered what she had ever done to deserve him. She leaned her head back against his chest. “That’s easy for you to say.”

Kristoff pulled away suddenly almost causing her to fall backward. When she looked over her shoulder there was a playful smile on his face. “Prove it! Go put it on. Unless you’re chicken.”

“Really?”

“I mean, it sounds to me like you’re being a big chicken. You’re gonna let a dumb fancy dress be the boss of you.”

Anna smirked. She deserved every second she got with this dork. Taking another deep breath, she started to walk past him toward the dress, “Promise me you’ll stay here?”

“Always,” he said catching her hand as she passed and pressing a kiss to the top of it.

Anna steeled herself and pulled the dress up over the form. She ignored the tiny voice this time and just tried to concentrate on what Kristoff had said. She could do this.

Behind the dressing screen, she managed to change out of her robe, into her undergarments, and, with only slightly shaking hands, step into the dress. The process felt like it took forever and like she was moving in slow motion, but finally, she had everything in place. Readjusting the neckline and smoothing out her skirt, she took another deep breath.

“I’m coming out,” she finally declared.

“I’m waiting,” he called back in a sing-song voice.

“Kristoff.”

“Anna.”

“Fine!” She huffed. Slowly and carefully, mostly for fear of tripping on her own cape, she made her way out past the partition. After a few more steps, she finally looked up and met Kristoff’s gaze. He was just staring at her, mouth partially open but no words coming out. Anna suddenly felt far more self-conscious than before. “Please say something.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper and her eyes fell back down to her hands that had started rubbing nervously against each other.

Suddenly, Kristoff had closed the distance between them. He wrapped his arms around her in that firm comforting embrace that made her melt. She stood strong though, despite wanting to crumple to the ground. He leaned closer to her ear again and simply whispered, “Wow!”

Anna felt a tingle go through her as he leaned down and place a firm but sweet kiss against her lips. “Are you sure we can’t just stay here?” she asked as he pulled away.

“As much as it pains me, no,” he sighed. “You need to finish getting ready.”

Anna suddenly remembered the disastrous state of every other part of her that wasn’t clothed.

“Come’er,” he said sensing her starting to panic again and pulling her over toward the vanity. He led her over to the bench seat and gently sat her down. Anna stared at her reflection in the mirror. She fiddled again with the neck of the dress her fingers resting on the gold leaf pattern embroidered on the bodice. The pattern that was on all of her clothing. The pattern that was hers.

Kristoff was right. She wasn’t Elsa. She wasn’t her mother. She was her normal bed-headed mess of a self, but this time in a much nicer dress. She was a woman who loved her home and her people and her family more than anything. She was Anna of Arendelle. And, finally, for once that was enough.

Kristoff reached past her and grabbed a silver brush from the top of the vanity. He slowly and carefully brushed it through her tangled locks matting them down smoothly. Anna closed her eyes relaxing into his touch. Breathing for maybe the first time in the last few months.

During a wine-fueled late-night chat when they had first started dating, Kristoff had sheepishly admitted that Bulda had taught him how to style hair when he was growing up. After a few failed attempts, Kristoff blaming it on troll foliage being different than actual human hair, he had become quite adept at styling even Anna’s most complicated hair-dos. He had taken his role as secret royal hairdresser very seriously from then on.

Anna’s breathing continued to slow and finally calm as he started weaving the intricate crown braid across her head. Kristoff finished around the back, pulling the rest of her hair up into a tight knot of a bun. She opened her eyes for a moment, reaching down to hand him the hairpins in front of her.

He pinned the whole thing in place making sure it would keep secure but not be too tight. He stood back for a second looking over his work before nodding his approval and looking up to meet her eyes in the mirror. Anna was smiling. Finally, really smiling and Kristoff couldn’t help but beam back at her. “There’s my girl,” He said leaning down and kissing the exposed skin on her shoulder. Anna leaned her head against his sighing contently. “Or I guess I should say, my queen” he whispered into her ear.

Anna immediately pulled away from him, but she was still smiling. “That’s never not going to sound _so_ weird!!!”

“Well you’re going to have to get used to it,” he said, picking her up off the bench in one smooth motion and spinning her around.

“My queen. My queen. My queen!!!” he said over and over punctuating each proclamation with a kiss to her face, her head, her shoulder and any other bit of her he could catch. A melody of giggles spilled out of her as she feigned trying to escape but enjoyed every second. She finally caught his lips with hers and made him devote the kisses to just one target.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. The couple nearly jumped apart having all but forgotten the more pressing matters of the day. Anna cleared her throat before responding with a “yes?”

The door opened slightly revealing Gerda’s face. She smiled when she saw the two, probably more relieved that Anna was actually ready for the day than anything else. “Princess Anna, the Queen… I mean Elsa… Your sister has arrived.”

“Thank you,” Anna said, “Please send her up.”

Gerda nodded again and closed the door behind her. Anna spun on her heels back toward Kristoff. “I should probably go get ready,” he said. “Gotta make sure Olaf hasn’t destroyed anything yet. Plus, it’s time for you to get your ultimate Elsa pep talk.”

Anna furrowed her brow at him “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

It was her turn to close the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. “I just got the ‘ultimate pep talk’!”

“Yeah, but I know Elsa…”

She pulled apart enough to move her hand up and put a finger to her lips to silence him, “I know what you’re going to say and stop it. Your reassurance means just as much to me as hers, maybe more sometimes.”

Kristoff took her hand in his and wrapped her in that warm embrace again. “I’m just sorry I can’t be up there by your side.”

“It’s fine. I know it has to just be me and Elsa. But I also know you’re there and that’s all I need. When I think about that, I know I’m not alone, even when I’m by myself.” She reached up and kissed him, “And you’ll be stuck with me all night anyway. You’re the only person on my dance card”

“Speaking of things we have to get through,” Kristoff said, gulping nervously.

Anna laughed again, “Look, stand by my side, dance with me, sneak me chocolate and then we’ll figure out what to do for the after-party.”

“Afterparty?”

“I mean, I’ve already convinced Elsa to watch Olaf tonight and Ryder to look after Sven so it’ll just be the two of us. I should really repay you for the confidence boost,“ she said snaking her arm up around her neck with a sly smile. “I’m sure I can come up with something,”

Kristoff turned an interesting shade of red and started to stammer before Anna pulled him down and kissed him in a way that let him know exactly what she had in mind.


End file.
